"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"Your book [Beat Your A-Fib] is the quintessential most important guide not only for the individual experiencing atrial fibrillation and his family, but also for primary physicians, and cardiologists."

"Steve Ryan's summaries of the Boston A-Fib Symposium are terrific. Steve has the ability to synthesize and communicate accurately in clear and simple terms the essence of complex subjects. This is an exceptional skill and a great service to patients with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Jeremy Ruskin of Mass. General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

"Steve, your website was so helpful. Thank you! After two ablations I am now A-fib free. You are a great help to a lot of people, keep up the good work."

Terry Traver, former A-Fib patient

"If you want to do some research on AF go to A-Fib.com by Steve Ryan, this site was a big help to me, and helped me be free of AF."

Roy Salmon Patient, A-Fib Free; pacemakerclub.com, Sept. 2013

MAM 2016: Fantastic 3-D Experience of the Heart or Why We Were Wearing 3-D glasses!

The movie won an Oscar for Best Special Visual Effects; Image: Foresight Institute

by Steve S. Ryan, PhD

In 1966, the wide-screen movie Fantastic Voyage took viewers inside the human body by injecting a miniaturized submarine, its crew and a surgical team into the carotid artery. Their mission was to break up a clot and save the VIP patient. Traveling through the heart to the brain, reveals a world of dazzling color, a floating wonderland with huge red corpuscles, whirling globules, platelets and particles.

I had that same amazing experience when Dr. Joris Ector presented his incredible 3-D vision of a real heart. Just like when watching the movie, there were involuntary gasps and shocks as you felt what it was like to move through the heart.

And yes, we had to wear 3-D glasses! That’s got to be a first at an A-Fib conference.

Starting with the exterior of a beating heart, Dr. Ector, from the University of Leuven, Belgium, showed every possible 3-D angle.

Next, he peeled away the exterior to reveal the movement of the heart from the inside. Next, he whisked you inside the heart so fast that you almost got dizzy.

Particularly interesting was the trip through the left atrium into the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) with its trabeculations (thick muscular tissue bands) which looked like columns in close-up.

In some ways, Dr. Ector’s presentation felt more real and comprehensive than watching footage of an actual heart beating. It was an astounding experience (just like watching Fantastic Voyage in 1966). (I wish I had an interior of the 3-D heart to share with you.)

Disclaimer: the authors of this Web site are not medical doctors and are not affiliated with any medical school or organization. The information on this site is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in this service is intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment.